Cylinder construction for washing machines or the like



Nov. 24, 1936. F. A. GERLACH 2,062,021

CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION FOR WASHING MACHINES OR THE LIKE Filed April 16,1954 2' Sheets-Sheet l FRANK A. GERLACH ATTORN EY 5 FIG-IO Nov. 24,1936. F. A. GERLACH I 2,062,021

CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION F OR WASHING MACHINES. OR THE LIKE Filed April 16,1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 24, 1936 UNITED STATESCYLINDER CONSTRUCTION FOR WASHING MACHINES OR THE LIKE Frank A. Gerlach,Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The American Laundry Machinery Company,Norwood, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 16, 1934, SerialNo. 720,709

7 Claims.

This invention relates to cylinders for washing machines and the like,wherein the principal parts are the cylinder and a tub therefor, thecylinder being arranged to receive the goods to be treated, the tubbeing arranged to contain the treating liquid, the cylinder beingperforated to expose the goods to the liquid and being driven to produceagitation of the goods during the treating period. The cylinder ishorizontally disposed, carried on bearings at its ends, and its drivingmeans provides frequent reversal; so that the cylinder is subjected tothe dead load of the goods and to torsional driving, loads.

The type of cylinder more particularly contemplated by this invention isone having what is known in the art as Y partitions providing threecompartments disposed about the axis, and having a plurality of suchsets of compartments spaced along theaxis, and each compartment isprovided with a door slidable peripherally of the cylinder, about theaxis. To improve the tumbling action of the goods during cylinderoperation, lifting ribs are provided in each compartment, extendinglongitudinally of the cylinder ax'i'sand projecting inwardly from thecompartment'walls. The arrangement outlined above will be recognized byone familiar with the art as not new therein.

The general objects of the present invention are to provide an improvedstructural relation between the parts of the assembly which comprisesthe cylinder, whereby the assembly may be most conveniently made,welding employed so far as possible, with the greatest resultantstrength.

More particularly the invention includes a con struction wherein thelongitudinally extending parts are uninterrupted throughout the entirelength ofthe cylinder so far as possible, so that they and consequentlythe cylinder in its-entirety will have maximum rigidity against thebending and torsional stresses resulting from the loads above described.Such longitudinally extending parts comprise principally theY-partitions, the lifting ribs and the circumferentially disposedcylinder wall sheets.

Another object is to provide that connections between adjacent parts ofthe structure have great strength for the general purpose and be bestaccessible during the assembly. The invention thus embraces both thestructure itself and the method of assembly of the parts thereof.

The exact nature of this invention together with further objects andadvantages thereof will be apparent from the following description takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is aperspective view of a washing machine cylinder embodying the invention,the assembly being complete with the exception that the'near door isremoved to better show interior parts, the remaining door appearing,being in closed position; Fig. 2 is an enlarged typical sectiontransverse of the axis of the cylinder, taken as through the near set ofcompartments thereof along the line 2-2 of Fig. l, but with the doors ofthe latter removed; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section transverse of thecylinder axis, between the doors of the two sets of compartments and onthe far side of the transverse partition means appearing in Fig. 1 andalong the line 33 thereof; Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the cylinder,parts being broken away to show details of construction; Fig. 5 is anenlarged sectional detail taken as in the plane of line 5-5, Fig. 4;Fig. 6 is a similar sectional detail taken as in the plane of line 6-6,Fig. 4; Fig. '7 is a sectional detail as in the plane of line 'l-'l,Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is a detail as in the section of line 88, Figs. 4 and 6;Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional detail of the door-mounting means takenat the curved or side edge of the door opening as indicated at line 99,Fig. 2; Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail of parts at'the straight edge ofone of the door openings, that edge from which the door moves to open;Fig. 11 is a perspective detail of'parts adjacent a peripheral liftingrib along the line I l--l l of Fig. 1 or in a similar position in theplane of Fig. 2; Fig. 12 is a similar detail of parts adjacent the samelifting rib along the line IZ-l 2 of Fig. 1 and in the plane of Fig. 3;and Fig. 13 is a plan view of a segmental partition plate.

With reference now to the drawings, the parts will be described in thegeneral order of their assembly and their disposition in terms ofreference to the cylinder axis; similar reference characters beingapplied to similar parts, it being understood that the cylinder chosenfor illustration and appearing in Fig. 1 has six compartments arrangedin two sets of three each, the sets being longitudinally spaced and thecompartments of each being spaced about the axis.

Three partitions I, la and I b are provided, each generally rectangular,extending substantially the full length of the cylinder and radiallyfrom the axis substantially to the cylinder periphery. These partitionsare disposed equally about the axis so that each subtends an angle of120, each being provided at its inner edge with a bend of that amount asindicated Figs. 2 and 3. These bends, as there indicated, provide abearing for each partition against both the others, and the three arespot welded together along their bent portions as indicated in those.figures, to provide their assembly as a unit, in what is known as Yformation.

Since each of the described partition members has associated parts to bedescribed and each set of parts bears the same relation with itspartition, it will here suifice to specifically describe one set of suchparts. i being understood that as indicated in the drawings, a similarset is provided for each partition.

For the space between each adjacent pair of Y-partitions l is provided apair of segmental shaped head or end sheets 2, one sheet for each end ofthe cylinder, and therebetween a partition sheet 6 of generally similarform. Thus in the drawings the near end sheet 2 appears in Figs. 1 and4, the corresponding far end sheet 2 appears in Fig. 3, and theintermediate partition sheet 6 appears in Figs. 1 and 2. These sheetsall extend in planes transverse of the cylinder axis, those specificallyenumerated lying between the Y-partitions I and la; there being asimilar set of transverse sheets whose reference characters are similarbut bear the suffix a, between the Y-partitions la and lb, and a thirdset of transverse sheets bearing the suffix b between the Y-partitionslb and I. Also, in the drawings the end sheets 2 at the. far end of thecylinder in Fig. 1, are distinguished from those at the near end ofthecylinder by priming their reference characters.

Each set of longitudinally aligned transversely disposed segmentalsheets such as the sheets 2, 6 and 2' are provided with aligned liftingrib holders 3, 4 and 5, of stirrup form, welded to the faces of theirtransverse sheets and disposed as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. Suchlifting rib holders are provided upon the inner faces of the end sheets2, and upon both faces of the partition 6. Each longitudinally alignedset of rib holders is flanged as indicated to provide substantialbearing area. against the transverse member to which it is secured, andis flanged longitudinally of the cylinder to define a seat for a liftingrib. The intermediate transverse partitions 6 are cut away to providenotches defined by their rib holders as shown in Fig. 13, so that eachnotch is adapted to receive a through lifting rib seated therein.

A lifting rib is provided for each longitudinally aligned set of ribholders. Thus a lifting rib 'l is provided for the rib holders 3, a rib8 for the rib holders 4, and a rib- 9 for the rib holders 5, etc. Eachlifting rib is of sheet metal bent to the general U section indicated inFigs. 2 and 3, to fit in the recesses provided by its rib holders. Eachlifting rib extends the full length of the cylinder between its endsheets 2 and through its intermediate partition sheet 6. Each liftingrib is welded to the corresponding flanges of its four rib holders, twoon the intermediate partition 6 and one each upon the corresponding endsheets 2.

Thus three similar units are assembled, each comprising two end sheets 2and an intermediate partition sheet 6 interconnected by three liftingribs.

These three units are next positioned with respect to the previouslyassembled Y-partition as indicated in the drawings, each transversesheetlifting rib unit being disposed in the angular recess between anadjacent pair of the Y-partitions.

The. head sheet segments 2 are next spot welded to their correspondingY-partition sheets, along their radially extending contacting portions.The end or head sheets 2 have outwardly extending flanges l0 bearingupon the Y-partition sheets for the purpose, as indicated Fig. 6,wherein it will be seen that the corresponding flanges of an adjacentpair of head sheets 2 will lie opposite each other with thecorresponding edge of the. corresponding Y-partition sheet Itherebetween, so that a single spot weld will interconnect the threeparts in stacked relation.

A pair of transmitters [2 are provided, one for each end of thecylinder. The transmitters are preferably castings, generally of wheelform, each with a hub part I3 adapted for rotatable mounting of thecylinder upon the usual driving gudgeon not shown. Each transmitter hasa rim part connected with its hub part I3 by spoke parts including threespokes I4 disposed to lie at the ends of the Y-partitions and spokes IEto extend adjacent the peripheral lifting ribs 1. The spoke parts M arerecessed as at IE to receive and clear the outwardly turned flange partsll] of the head sheets 2, and the spoke parts l5 are perforated toreceive tie rods H disposed within the hollows of the peripherallylocated lifting ribs 1. Thus three tie rods I I, each extending throughone of the. lifting ribs I, serve to clamp the intervening sheetassembly between the two transmitters [2 to form a rigid unit, the tierods having the usual nuts at their ends as indicated in the drawings,for the purpose. Such unit assembly may then be preferably placed in aspecial fixture such as that shown in copending application, Serial No.599,155, filed March 16, 1932 by Frank Vetorino.

The partition sheets 6 are then Welded to their Y-partitions I, theformer having flanges ll along their straight edges for the purpose.

Each of the lifting ribs 8 and 9 now adjacent one of the Y-partitions,is provided with longitudinally extending outwardly turned flangesbearing thereagainst as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. These flanges onthese lifting ribs are next welded to the Y-partition sheets underlyingthem.

Six perforate cylinder sheets are provided, each longitudinallysubstantially coextensive with the entire cylinder, and each extendingabout the cylinder approximately 60 so that there are two, 3 and I9, foreach compartment. These cylinder sheets are next added to the assemblyand secured to the parts thereof as follows. As indicated at 20 in Fig.3, the longitudinal edges of the cylinder sheets adjacent theY-partitions have outwardly turned flanges between each adjacent pair ofwhich the extremity of the corresponding Y-partition lies, the threeparts thus in stacked relation being welded together. The opposite edgeof the cylinder sheet 3 overlies the near longitudinally extendingflange with. which the peripherally located lifting rib 1 is provided.The corresponding edge of the other cylinder sheet IQ of the pair,extends beyond the lifting rib 1 to overlie the cylinder sheet l8 as at2|. welded together. larly welded to the other flange of the lifting ribI as at 22.

It will be noted from Figs. 11 and 12, that although the lifting rib 1is generally of U form in Where the sheet I8 is cut away to form a door.

opening, the legs of rib 1 are of equal length as shown in Figs. 2 and11. This change in formation of rib '1 takes place at the sides of thedoor openings where the cylinder wall again becomes uninterrupted.

These three parts in stacked relation are The cylinder sheet I9 is simi-60 section, one leg where it underlies the cylinder The curved edges ofthe head sheets 2 are provided with outwardly turned flanges 23overlying the rim parts 24 of the transmitters l2, and the cylindersheets l8 and I9 extend longitudinally to overlie these flanges 23 ofthe head sheets 2, as indicated in Fig. 7. These adjacent parts of thetransmitters, head sheets, and cylinder sheets in stacked relation, areconnected together by riveting after completion of all weldingoperations.

Where the Y-partition sheets join the cylinder sheets at the ends of thecylinder, the construction is as indicated in Fig. 8.

Longitudinally disposed upper door stops 25 are welded across the dooropenings which are provided in the cylinder sheets l8, this weldingoperation being preferably completed before the riveting illustrated inFig. 7, so that all of the riveting operations may follow all of thewelding operations.

Door slide members 26 are next riveted on the circumferentiallyextending edges of the cylinder sheet door openings, and door stops 2!are riveted to the longitudinal edges of the door openings opposite thedoor stops 25. The door latch keepers 28 are riveted in place adjacentthe ends of the door stops 2?. The doors 3!), each having a latch box3|, are next placed upon their slide members and there secured forsliding adjustment, by the retaining strips 32 upon the slide members 26and strips 33 upon the stop 21, these retaining strips being mounted byscrews as indicated in Figs. 9 and 10.

At some convenient time during the process of assembly, the radiallyextending cavities I6 in the spokes M of the transmitters, are filledwith molten lead or the like as through the sprue openings indicated inFig. 6, whereby to prevent lost motion which might develop in service,between the transmitters and the sheet metal parts clamped therebetween.

What I claim is:

1. In a cylinder of the class described, longitudinally extendingpartitions disposed in Y formation, segmental head sheets, each sheetbeing transversely disposed between an adjacent pair of saidY-partitions at the ends of the latter, said head sheets havingoutwardly turned radially extending flanges bearing upon the end partsof said Y-partitions whereby each Y-partition end lies between a pair ofhead sheet flanges in stacked relation, said stacked parts being weldedtogether to form radially extending flanges projecting from the end ofthe cylinder, a transmitter for said cylinder end having radiallyextending recesses to receive said flanges, said recesses being arrangedto clear said flanges, and relatively soft metal filling the cavitiesbetween said flanges and their recesses.

2. In a cylinder of the class described, longitudinally extendingpartitions disposed in Y formation, longitudinally disposed lifting ribsmounted on said partitions, transversely disposed segmental partitionsheets, each fitting between an adjacent pair of said Y-partitions,intermediate the ends thereof, said lifting ribs extendinguninterruptedly through said segmental partition sheets and the latterbeing cut away to clear said lifting ribs, and said segmental partitionsheets being rigidly secured to said longitudinally extending partitionsand to said ribs.

3. In a cylinder of the class described, and having a peripherallydisposed longitudinally extending lifting rib, said rib being of sheetmetal of U form in transverse section and with outwardly turned flangesat its edges, a corresponding pair of cylinder sheets, one having anedge overlying the near one of said flanges, the other having an edgepart overlying the adjacent edge part of said first cylinder sheet andalso overlying the other flange of said lifting rib, said lifting ribbeing welded to said cylinder sheets where its flanges underlie thelatter.

4. In a cylinder of the class described, and having a peripherallydisposed longitudinally extending lifting rib, said rib being of sheetmetal of U form in transverse section and with outwardly turned flangesat its edges, a corresponding pair of cylinder sheets, one having anedge overlying the near one of said flanges, the other having an edgepart overlying the adjacent edge part of said first cylinder sheet andalso overlying the other flange of said lifting rib, said lifting ribbeing welded to said cylinder sheets where its flanges underlie thelatter, said lifting rib having its said near leg shorter than the otherby the thickness of said first cylinder sheet where the first cylindersheet underlies the second cylinder sheet, and said first cylinder sheethaving its said edge part deformed where it underlies said secondcylinder sheet, the proportioning and arrangement being such that thebody parts of said cylinder sheets may be disposed to define a commoncylindrical surface.

5. In a cylinder of the class described and having a peripherallydisposed longitudinally extending lifting rib, said rib being of sheetmetal of U form in transverse section and with opposed flanges at itsedges, a corresponding pair of cylinder sheets, one having an edgepartly overlying the near one of said flanges and partly cut away toprovide a door opening, the other cylinder sheet having an edge part tooverlie both flanges of said lifting rib, said lifting rib having itsnear leg, where the first cylinder sheet underlies the second cylindersheet, shorter than the other leg by the thickness of the first cylindersheet, and said first cylinder sheet having its said edge part deformedwhere it underlies said second cylinder sheet, said lifting rib beingwelded to those cylinder sheet parts which its flanges underlie.

6. In a cylinder of the class described and having a peripherallydisposed longitudinally extending lifting rib, said lifting rib being ofsheet metal of U form in transverse section and with an outwardly turnedflange at its edge, an arcuate cylinder sheet having a longitudinallyextending edge part overlying the flange of said rib, and a door stopoverlying said cylinder sheet edge part, said three parts being inoverlying relation, whereby they are adapted to be secured together by asingle uniting operation.

7. In a cylinder of the class described having longitudinally extendingcontinuous partitions disposed in Y formation, transversely disposedsegmental partition sheets intermediate the ends of said partitions,each fitting between an adjacent pair of said Y-partitions and rigidlysecured thereto, longitudinally disposed lifting ribs extendinguninterruptedly through said segmental partition sheets and rigidlysecured to said sheets, and said sheets being cut away to clear saidlifting ribs, whereby the outer edges of said ribs may lie flush withthe edges of said segmental partitions.

FRANK A. GERLACH.

